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Should recess be mandatory for Florida public schools? It would be close to impossible to find a current student who thinks recess is a bad idea. However, things at the capitol are little more complicated.

Ah, recess... that beautiful school day anomoly: a time set apart for pure play, for freedom! No structure. No grades. No rules. Ok, maybe there were rules but they always seemed fair, even to our developing minds. Don't swing too high... got it. Play nice... always. Don't hog the tire swing... of course. In recent years we've come to learn that recess is not only a lot of fun but also pretty important.

Recess benefits students by:

• Increasing their level of physical activity

• Improving their memory, attention, and concentration 

• Helping them stay on-task in the classroom

• Reducing disruptive behavior in the classroom

• Improving their social and emotional development (e.g., learning how to share and negotiate)

 

Source: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Now, the Florida Legislature is taking a look at how to make recess mandatory for public schools. The Senate and House bills reflect two different approaches.

 

...the Senate unanimously approved a bill (SB 78) requiring 20 minutes of daily, free-play recess for public-school students in kindergarten through fifth grade. However, the House of Representatives is considering a watered-down version of the bill (HB 67), that blends free play with physical education classes. The House bill includes free-play recess for students in kindergarten through third grade, as part of a P.E. requirement, and only includes mandatory recess on days when students don't have P.E.

Source: WFLA News Channel 8

No matter how this shakes out in the Legislature, it's objectively awesome to have something that is so good for kids also be something they actually want to do! That's in contrast to say taking a bath, brushing their teeth, or eating their veggies.

Speaking of recess, what was your favorite way to spend the time as a kid? Swinging on the monkey bars? Playing tag? Chatting with friends?